Page 41 - Studio International - March 1973
P. 41
Perhaps it is more of a truism than a paradox shifted from Paris to New York while, in spite of
ROBYN DENNY: to write that the relevance that Denny's painting the presence of a few excellent artists, London
had remained provincial. At the same time it
controlling the has today can only (or most readily) be seemed to many that our culture was dominated
discerned by seeing it within the context of the
by an elite whose members were confident in
medium condition of art from which it arises. However, their own individual and superior taste but, in
this leads to a second paradox, which is that it is
the same basic ideas which make Denny's fact, easily swayed by fashion. Art was a de luxe
paintings look so different from the avant-garde commodity at the disposal of rich or powerful
art of this moment that give them their amateurs who seemed, incidentally, more often
Michael Compton
continuing relevance. This is the theme of the than not, to be looking forward to the demise of
following note.1 abstract art. In short, the situation looked to the
Denny's fundamental ideas about art and young artists very like it does now.
A RETROSPECTIVE EXHIBITION OF WORK BY society have been consistently embodied in his American culture, not specifically American
ROBYN DENNY IS AT THE TATE GALLERY paintings but they are also reflected in his painting, seemed to some, particularly a group
FROM 7 MARCH TO 23 APRIL writings, in his conversation and in his whose forum was the ICA, to offer a model of a
relationships with people. They hang together new and more democratic structure (it should
as a group, reinforcing one another and giving be said that America was known almost entirely
fields of relevance and importance to each other. through the media of films, books, magazines,
They may be economically signalled by listing a records, etc.). The revelation was, briefly, that
few of the words that seem most characteristic living in modern urban conditions involves
of him: 'commitment', 'professionalism', everyone at a high level of skill in the handling of
`responsibility', 'information', 'participation'. information which was quite comparable to that
`Responsibility' and 'professionalism' are not of the elite's education and practice of the
words which are in very common use in the humanities. The skill, or rather skills, pertained
context of art at this moment but the other three specifically to distinguishing, deciphering,
have become ubiquitous, even modish, while responding to and manipulating a very wide
changing their meanings in ways that reflect range of signs and signals whose complex
some dramatic changes of social attitudes. meanings derived from all the aspects of the
At the time Denny was a student it was multiple and overlapping sub-cultures to which
`Place' exhibition installation 1959 apparent that the vital centre of modern art had each person belonged. A succinct statement of
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